Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, at Thursday’s media briefing, continued multi-pitched bolstering of her Government’s effect and cause.
Pitching plans and product, stroking and yoking labour partners/members with payback and persuasion on co-operation. Pronouncing on the People’s National Movement (PNM). Camp control and country work on.
Yesterday’s PNM’s General Council discussions on internal polls may have attempted same as far possible, seeking firming and footing post-defeat
Government’s work has already shaped its first six months of office after entering the first session of the 13th Parliament’s term next Friday - ending any “honeymoon.”
Beyond Budget 2026 projections, aspects ahead include ambassadors’ appointments, and several PNM appointees who resigned and returning soon, it’s confirmed.
In Parliament, among Government’s 26 MPs, the AG, Finance, Planning, Energy, Works and Public Utilities are expected to be frontliners around Persad-Bissessar.
Some expect Congress of the People (COP) leader Prakash Ramadhar “somewhere” - including the Senate - but there’s uncertainty about Cabinet. With the return of COP’s chairman to T&T last week, sources said moves are on for a meeting regarding internal COP elections, including leadership.
Independent senators are tipped as a mix of academic, financial, economic and HR expertise - including someone formerly involved in an area figuring in headline news controversy four years ago.
Whether UNC’s 26 MPs have room on Government’s back bench for Tobago People’s Party (TPP) MPs David Thomas and Joel Sampson is ahead; or whether their independence will be reinforced by seating at the extreme end of the row behind the PNM. Sampson’s Crown Point Bon Accord seat remains vacant until THA elections, since it’s a THA election year up to March 2026. Subsequently, there’s a year’s break until Local Government elections due in 2027 (not 2026.)
The TPP’s 2026 Budget calculations come in late June, following the mid-year review of the 2025 Budget. The review’s expected mid-June, it’s understood. Priority item on Parliament’s agenda regarding T&T’s financial footing and UNC’s solutions, the review does double duty in scoring political points against the previous PNM’s management of systems.
Government’s actions have set the stage for a concerted takedown of the PNM: unearthing questionable hirings and similar undertakings under that government, reports tracking issues in every sector, including forex recipients - planning to reveal them, as was done in Persad- Bissessar’s previous administration - the Clico report and latest Auditor General’s Report with “serious revelations.”
This, amid PNM’s weakened state. The party should have known to take its cue from Persad-Bissessar’s general declaration last Thursday that she’d been “too nice” before. Seeking to entrench her Government amid a PNM whose machinery’s at optimum minus division, any tool is expected to be wielded by the UNC.
With continuing signs of the Penny Beckles-Robinson-led PNM having its own opposition within, UNC jefes on Tuesday felt comfortable enough to remark that once she was there, they’d be in Government. The non-compliment underscored that the party still needs work to dispel the perception of being occupied with fighting within rather than Government, without.
Beyond yesterday’s General Council discussion on PNM’s June internal election date, that contest will reveal whatever “contests” are occurring internally. PNM internal elections during Opposition periods and even in the last 2022 internals (while in Government) saw multiple persons contesting posts - including Beckles versus Frankie Khan for chairman in 2011.
While the early timing bids to reinforce Beckles’ leadership and scotch division, a June election will occur when UNC’s Government is pumping with newbie ministerial vigour.
Apart from whether PNM’s Senate picks could see the term “loser” dogging the party for five years, the perception of a PNM where division simmers silently will cloud the party’s image in Parliament. Including who’s seated closest - or furthest - to Beckles when Parliament work begins.
Divisions are clear. PNM Changemakers’ lurking protests. Defeated candidate Foster Cummings’ distancing himself from the previous PNM leadership’s election strategy. Whether differing views, including from certain other executive members, compounded PNM’s loss of 102,000 votes. How long differing views the affected PNM before the idea of Stuart Young for leader arose. And how personalities mesh now.
With the gloss of next Friday’s Parliament’s launch, the reality of both sides will still be incomplete. Until after.